Internal-combustion engine



` G. s. MAXWELL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2. 1917.

1,339,035. Patented MayY 4,1920.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

GEORGE S. MAXWELL, v0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO A.RALPH SEBVEN, TRUSTEE, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFv COLUMBIA.

IN TERN AIA-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specicatonbf Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1920.

Application filed April 2, 1917. Serial No. 159,289.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, GEORGES. MAXWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at .lVashingtom in the District of Columbia, haveinvented'certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-CombustionEngines; and I do declarethe following to bel a full, clear, and exactdescription of the in-I vention, such as will enable others skilled 1nthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines, and has for itsobject to bring within quick, easy, and convenient control of theoperator,y the' supply, at will, of either an explosive 'gas or mixture,enriched or not; or an enriched gas supplemented with gas supplied by anordinary carbureter; or the supply of gasolene or other combustiblemixture, either alone or combined with a fixed gaseous agent orsubstance, to an ordi-k nary carbureter, to furnish the necessaryvexplosive mixture for the engine cylinder, as fourid desirable ornecessary to meet different contingencies or conditions.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear `the invention involves the dispositionof valves indifferent conduits or pas- In the drawing the numeral 1 designates acarbureter of any preferred suitable construction; 2 the intake pipe tothe carbureter; 3 the throttle; and 4 the manifold intake between thecarbureter and explosive engine (not shown) all of'which elements andtheir ordinary purpose and operation are well known and need not befurther described.

An auxiliary intake pipe 5 is illustrated as in communication with thecarbureter 1 at the point of location of the throttle 3 but may beotherwise connected up with the manifold intake leading to the explosiveengine (not shown). The auxiliary intake 5 communicates at one end withan air intake 6 and at the junction of the two pipes is a suitable valve7 to control the port 8 between the pipes. This valve is illustrated ascarried by a swinging armvl() under the nfluence of a spring 11 whosetension may be varied by an adjusting screw 12. rIhe valve 7 also servesto normally close the discharge end of a pipe 13 leading from areservoir 14 designed to contain a suitable volatile combustible agentor mixture, for instance gasolene, supplied to the reservoir through acap covered opening 15 or otherwise. The reservoir 14 communicates witha reservoir 16 in which is stored an explosive gas under compression,the gas being a fixed gas (preferably an illuminating gas, oracetylene), or volatile explosive or combustible fluid or mixture, andwhich is designed to enrich .the volatile combustible material containedv16. This pressure regulator 18 is divided by a partition 19 into twocompartments 20 and 21, one of which is provided with an Velasticdiaphragm 22. The upper compartment communicates by one branch of theconduit 17 with the compressed gas storage reservoir and by the otherbranch with the volatile combustible material reservoir 14, and theupper portion of the reservoir 14 .is in communication through a pipe 23with the chamberH 21 of the regulator 18 beneath the diaphragm therein.The gas receiving orifice 24 of the regulatoris opened or closed by avalve 25, working through partition 19 andbearing against a lever 26 atone end resting on a stud 27 attached to the elastic diaphragm 22 so asto be lifted by a predetermined or excess of pressure in chamber.

21 beneath the diaphragm and at such time close orice 24 and cuts ofi'supply of compressed gas fromreservoir 16 until pressure in chamberl21is reduced, whereupon lever 26 and valve 25 will fall so as to openinlet orifice 24 for supply of additional com pressed gas to the chamber20 from'which it will pass through pipe17 to reservoir 14 and enrich thevolatile combustible Inaterial therein. The pressure in reservoir 14 isordinarily slightly above atmospheric pressure and so maintained byvalve 7 keep'- ing closed the discharge end of pipe 13 by atmosphericpressure in the auxiliary intake plus the tension of spring 11. Whenthere is reduction of pressure in the auxiliary intake suiiicient toovercome the resistance of spring 11 the valve 7 will be drawn away fromthe discharge end of pipe 13 and from port 8, whereupon the enrichedcombustible gas from the reservoir 14 as well as air from the intake 6will pass" into the auxiliary intake 5 and from thence to-the manifoldintake 4, and to the engine cylinder (not shown) and there be explodedin the usual way. When the suction in the 4auxiliary intake 5 created bythe engine is reduced suficiently, the pressure of spring 11 will closevalve 7 and the supply of gas from reservoir 14 and air from intake 6will be cut olf until variation of pressure in the auxiliary intake isagain suiiicient for the automatic opening of the valve for additionalsupply of explosive gas and air to the engine, and thus the operation isrepeated in succession.

The reservoir 14is in communication with' claimed herein but is given asone form of' apparatus in which the present invention may be embodiedand in connection with which and to effect the results hereinbeforedescribed the novel features now to be described are especially welladapted. v

In the pipe 13 for the supply of the enriched combustible gas from thereservoir 14 is placed a multiple-way cock or valve 29 and in theemergency fuel supply pipe leading from the reservoir 14 tothecarbureter 1 is placed a multiple-way cock or valve 30. These two cocksor valves will be connected one with the other by suitable meansenabling them to be conjointly operated, for instance by a connectingrod 31 with which the arms or levers 33 and 34 lof the respective valvesare connected, and the connecting rod is actuated by suitable means asfor instance by a manipulating lever of any suitable type, such as alever 35, positioned at a point within convenient reach of the operator.The ports in these multiple-way cocks or valves are so formed that intwo positions of each valvethe passage-way controlled by emh will beopen and in a third position closed; and the valves are so adjusted orpositioned that when the two valves are moved to one position the portin one will be open and in the other closed; when moved to a secondposition the port in one will be open andthe port in the otherpreviously closed will be open; and when moved to a third position theport in one previously openiwill be closed andthe port in the otherwillremain open. For inst'ance, as illustrated, when the lever 35 is inposition 1a indicated on the scale, valve 29 will be open so that gasonly, enriched or not, will pass from reservoir 14 through pipe 13leading to intake 5, and valve 30 in pipe 28 leading from thereservoirto the carbureter 1 will be closed; when the lever is moved toposition 2a indicated by the scale, valve 29 will still be open for thepassage of gas from reservoir 14 and valve 30 will be open for thepassage of gasolene from reservoir 14 to carbureter 1 to supplement thegas `from reservoir with the gasolene carbureted in` carbureter 1 toform the explosive mixture or 4fuel; and when lever 35 is moved toposition 3a indicated by the scale, lvalve 29 will be closed so thatthere will be; no supply of gas through pipe 13 to intake 5, and valve30 in emergency pipe 28 will remain open so that 100 gasolene fromreservoir 14 enriched by the ailmixture of fixed gas from reservoir 16,orf not, as conditions may exist, is supplied to carbureter l tol becarbureted therein and furnish the explosive mixture or fuel for theengine cylinder. It will thus appear that by conjoint action of the twovalves an enrlched gas or mixture, under pressure control, isautomatically supplied to the engine cylinder, without supply of liquidgasolene or combustible mixture toy a carbureter for Carburation ascommonly practised; that when necessary or desirable the gaseouscombustible fuel, more or less enriched, may be supplemented by thevapors or gas evolved 115 from gasolene or other liquid volatilecombustible material supplied to and carbureted in a carbureter; andthirdly, that the furnishin of an enriched gas, under pressure contromay be entirely supplanted by the 120 supply of gasolene or other liquidcombustible material tofan ordinary -carburete to furnish the explosivefuel for the engine cylinder. l hese possibilities are all underthedirect control of the operator and are 125 brought into play by him, atwill, by the manipulation of valves under his control.` The starting ofthe engine and its continued operation under unfavorable conditions andat a saving of fuel expense, and-with in- 130 creased efficiency andunder quick andveasy control of the operator are all obtained.v byreason of the novel features described.

Having described my invention andset connecting one valve with the othertoppen one as it closes the other.

2. In internal combustion engines, a reservoir for a Volatilecombustible agent, a conduit for the passage of gas from the reservoir,a conduit for the passage of the Volatile agent from the reservoir,valves for controlling the discharge through the conduits, and means foractuating said valves-at will to open one as it` closesthe other, forthe discharge of the gas or the volatile agent, as described.

3. In internal combustion engines, a reservoir for a volatilecombustible agent, a conduit for the passage of gas from the reservoir,a conduit for the passage of the volatile agent from the reservoir,valves for controlling the discharge through the conduits, and means foractuating said Valves, one of the valves being formed for dischargethrough its conduit in two positions of the valve and the other forclosure of discharge through its1 conduitin an open position of theother va ve.

4." In internal combustion engines, a reservoir for a`volatilecombustible agent, a conduit for the passage of gas from the reser-Voir, a conduit for the passage of the volatile agentfrom the reservoir,Valves for controlling the discharge through the conduits and means foractuating said valves, one o said -valves being formed for dischargethrough its conduit in two positions of the `valve and closure ofdischarge in another position, and the other valve formed for closure ofdischarge through itsconduit in two discharge positions of the firstmentioned valve and for discharge inthe closed position of the othervalve.

5. In internal combustion engines, a reservoir for a volatilecombustible agent, a conduitfor the passage ofv gas from the reservoir,a conduit for the passage of the volatile agent from the reservoir,valves for controlling discharge through the conduits, and

means for connecting one valve with the other, each valve being formedfor discharge through its conduit in two positions of lthe valve andclosure of discharge in another position, the closed lposition of onevalve corresponding to an open position of the other valve.

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE S. MAXWELL.

Witnesses:

ROSE M. SEFTON, EDA S. WoLFF.

